Crop dusting equipment



May 20, 1952 S. HILLER, JR, ET AL CROP DUSTING EQUIPMENT 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1 Filed May 1, 1950 INVENTORS STA/VLEY H/LLER BY JR. OBERT A. WAGNER ATTORNEY y 20, 1952 s. HILLER, JR., ET AL 2,597,323

CROP DUSTING EQUIPMENT Filed May 1, 1950 V 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 39 s I i 9 35 I y fl- J 'J -2- 37 I 37 a 3a JNVENTORS STANLEY H/LLER JR. ROBERT A. WA GIVE/7 ATTORNEY Patented May 20, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Wagner, Playa Del Ray. Calif., assignors to Hiller Helicopters. San Mateo County, 0alif., a

corporation of California Application my 1, 1950, Serial No. 159,294

i Claims.

This invention relates to crop dusting equipment, and more particularly to such equipment adapted for use on aircraft.

The employment of crop dusting equipment on,

aircraft, especially rotary wing aircraft such as; I

when it is moist or damp. Also, the usual speed of the aircraft presents a problem in.obtaininguniform dusting in a fine powder.

The present invention has for its objects, among others, the provision of improved dusting equipment of the character related, which will entirely obviate caking oi the material to, be dusted, which will efiect uniform dusting, and which is-pf relatively simple, light weight, and economical construction. Summarizing the invention, an important feature thereof resides in the provision of a special bailie arrangement in. a generally horizontally extending blast tube which communicates with the bottom of an up-. right hopper structure for the dusting material. Such tube is adapted to receive a blast of air,

adjacent one end thereof and to discharge the material from the opposite end.

The material is fed from the hopper structureinto the blast tube; and to prevent caking of the material which may otherwise result in clogging of the blast tube, a plurality of vertically. spaced generally horizontally positioned baiiles is provided in the tube underneath the hopper structure, with adjacent ends of the bullies in spaced overlapping relationship. The uppermost bailie is adjacent the blast receiving end of the tube while the lowermost baflie is adjacent the discharge end of the tube. v

Suitable means is provided in the hopper structure for agitating the materialtherein to minimize caking, and also to feed regulated pre-' determined quantities of the material into the blast tube, so that it will not become overloaded and thereby become clogged. Also, vibrators are provided on the hopper structure to aid in preventing caking of vthe material.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings in association with a rotary wing aircraft, such as a helicopter,

2 where the equipment has found great applicability. It is to be understood, however, that the equipment may be employed with any other type of aircraft.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view or a portion of the body of a well known type of helicopter on which are mounted two crop dusting units of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through one of the equipment units; certain parts shown in Fig. 1 being omitted and broken away to shorten the view; and r Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken in a plane indicated by line-H in Fig. 2.

with reference to Fig. 1, the helicopter body 2 is provided with the usual upright cooling fan 3 for the engine (not shown) and with the usual fan housing 4. For crop dusting work, a crop dusting equipment unit 5 is detachably mounted at each side of the helicopter by any suitable means including bracket structure 6 and a support hook I (Fig. 3) adapted to be detachably connected to the body of the ship. Each unit comprises a generally horizontally extending blast tube 8 having a top opening communicating with the bottom of an upright hopper structure 8. The hopper structure includes an-upper funnel shaped hopper housing ll having a flanged connection ll with a feed valve housing I2 located between the bottom of hopper housing II and the top of the blast tube I.

The air inlet end it of blast tube I is connected by means of suitable piping I4 and adaptor It to fan housing 4, so that the blast tube receives a continual blast of air as long as the engine is running As indicated'in Fig. 1, the opposite end of the blast tube is connected to a tail pipe H from which the dusting material is dispersed over the ground in the form of a fine powder or spray resulting from the blast of air.

An important constructional feature in the blast tube, which prevents caking of the material to insure that it is dispersed in the form of a fine powder, is theprovision of a plurality of horizontally positioned baiiies i8 underneath thehopper structure and between air inlet end I! and the discharge end adjacent tail pipe l'l. Bailies is are in the form of plates whichextend the width of the blast tube, and are provided with suitable side flanges l9 secured against the inner sides of the blast tube. I

They are vertically spaced or in other words arranged in stepped relationship, with their adjacent ends in spaced overlapping relationship,

e,sav,sss

provided between adthrough which the uppermost baiile is end It oi the blast a rotary iced valve 2: is provideddn the iced redetermineri 1 blade 28 therebetween, oi any suitable material such as rubber.

Oneendoitheshaititisconnectedtosuitable driving mechanism in the iorm oi reduction gearing mounted in gear reduction housing ll supported irom a bracket ii secured to ieed valve housing II; the reducting earing being driven by a suitable electric motor I! also supported by bracket 8i, and which receives its energy through electrical conductors (not shown) connected to the usual generating mechanism (not shown) on the ship. Preierably, shait as is provided with a detachable bayonet connection It with the gearing in gear reduction housing ll, so that the driving mechanism may be readily connected or disconnected ior replacement or repair when necessary.

Rotary agitating mechanism is provided in hopper housing ii adjacentthe bottom thereoi; suchmechanismbeingiorthepurposeoiminimizingcakingoimaterialinthehousing,and comprising a plurality oi rakes in the iorm oi radially extending rods 84 secured ior rotation with a shait ll. Rakingflngers II are provided at the outer extremities oi rake rods 34.

Shait It is parallel to shait ll, and projects through and is journalled in opposite walls oi hopper housing ii corresponding to the walls oi the iced valve housing I! in which shait 23 is journalled; suitable bearing assemblies I'I bein provided ior journalling shait ii. The end oi shait ll adjacent the projecting end oi shait 23 is driven irom shait It by a suitable driving connection in the iorm oi a sprocket and chain 4 are provided on both the hopper housing as well as the ieed valve housing parts oi the hopper structure: and by virtue oi the iaet that the hopper structure is more or lus loosely or flexibly held by means oi suspension hook 1, oilcacious vibration is imparted to the hopper structure.

W claim: i. Aircrait crop dusting equipment comprising an upright hopper structure adapted to hold dusting material and having a bottom opening for discharge oi the material, a generally horizontally extending blast tube communicating with the bottom opening oi said hopper structure and which is adapted to receive a blast oi air adjacent one end thereoi and to discharge said material irom the opposite end, and a plurality oi vertically spaced generally horizontally positioned baiiles in said blast tube positioned with adjacent ends in spaced overlappin relationship, said .baiiies spanning said bottom opening with a plurality oi the spaces between adjacent ends oi said baiiies underneath said bottom opening.

2. Aircrait crop dusting equipment comprising an upright hopper structure adapted to hold dusting material and having a bottom opening ior discharge oi the material, a generally horizontally extending blast tube communicating with the bottom opening oi said hopper structure and which is adapted to receive a blast oi air adjacent one end thereoi and to discharge said material irom the opposite end, and a plurality oi vertically spaced generally horizontally positioned baiiles in said blast tube positioned with adjacent ends in spaced overlapping relationship the uppermost baifle being adjacent the blast receiving end oi said tube and the lowermost baille adjacent the discharge end oi said tube.

3. The combination with a rotary wing aircrait having an engine cooling ian, oi crop dusting equipment mounted on said aircrait comprisin an upright hopper structure having a bottom opening ior discharge oi material irom the hopper structure. a generally horizontally extending blast tube communicating with the bottom opening oi said hopper structure, one end oi said blast tube being connected to an adaptor ior receiving a blast oi air irom said ian, said blast tube being adapted to discharge said material irom the opposite end thereoi, and a plurality oi vertically spaced generally horizontally positioned drive ll. Thus, it ism that the material is continually agitated in the hopper structure by means oi the rake mechanism; and predetermined regulated quantities oi the material is ied irom the bottom at the hopper structure by means oi the iced valve 22. Feeding oi the material irom the hopper structure may be readily controlled by energization or deenergimtion oi electric motor I! which is connected to the usual pilot operable control switch ll.

Asaiurthermeanstoinsureagainstcahing oi the material in the hopper structure, vibrating mechanism is mounted thereon. such vibrating mechanism comprises a plurality oi electric motors it which are connected to receive their energy through any suitable electrical conductors eonnectedtotheusualgeneratingsource oielectricityonthesbip. Themotorshaitsare with oil-balance weights I to'cause vibration as the shaits rotate. Vibratory motors baiiies in said blast tube positioned with adjacent ends in spaced overlappin relationship, said belles spanning said bottom opening with a plurality oi the spaces between adjacent ends oi said bailes underneath said bottom opening.

4. Aircrait crop dusting equipment comprising an upright hopper structure adapted to hold dusting material and having a bottom opening ior discharge oi the material, a single generally horizontally extending blast tube communicating with said bottom opening and which is adapted to receive a blast oi air adjacent one end thereoi and to discharge said material irom the opposite end, and a plurality oi generally horizontally positioned baiiies arranged longitudinally oi said blast tube with adjacent ends thereoi in stepped spaced relationship to provide spaces between said adjacent ends, said bailes spanning said bottom opening with a plurality oi said spaces between said baiiies underneath said bot.-

tom opening.

STANLEY mum, .11. ROBERT A. WAGNER.

(Beierencea on following page 5 REFERENCES CITED Number 1,888,214 The following references are of record in the 1,918,449 flle Of this patent: 1 979 133 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,098,887 Number Name Date zigzag 1,284,131 Murdick Nov. 5, 1918 2'488'554 1,310,815 Weaver July 22, 1919 I 1,324,930 Schafier Dec. 16, 1919 1,501,136 Redmon et a1 July 15, 1924 10 Number 1,674,048 Lang June 19, 1928 076 1,827,727 Blizard Oct. 20, 1931 Name Date Bogstrand Nov. 22, 1932 Brasington July 18, 1933 Bing'man Oct. 30, 1934 Satterlee Nov. 9, 1937 Schairer Oct. 24, 1939 Koepsel et a1 Mar. 9, 1948 Otterson Nov. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Jan. 18, 1948 

